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On September 30th, 2015 the Council of Ministers approved a “Programme for the development of the defence capabilities of the armed forces of Republic of Bulgaria till 2020.” This is the main document, defining Bulgaria’s defence policy. It will be discussed by the National Assembly, with the expectation to be adopted. This will however lead to a significant divergence from the obligations undertaken at the NATO Wales Summit, the “National Programme 2020” of the 2014 Caretaker Government, and the consensus reached at the Consultative Council on National Security (chaired by the President) in April 2015. Furthermore, this analysis shows that the Programme will not serve to determine and guide future decisions and actions in the defence sphere. The stagnation of the armed forces will continue, even against the recognition of increasing direct threats to the security of the country. Finally, the anticipated parliamentary approval of the Programme will make even fuzzier the responsibility for the status of the armed forces and their readiness to protect the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Bulgaria.
The full text of CSDM Views 32 is in Bulgarian.